D.Va Playstyle

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Overview of D.Va
  • 2. D.Va's Strengths
  • 3. D.Va's Weaknesses
  • 4. D.Va Synergies
  • 5. D.Va Counters
  • 6. D.Va Is Strong Against
  • 7. D.Va TL;DR Tips
  • 8. Reading Further for D.Va
  • 9. Changelog
• +Abilities and Strategy
  • 1. D.Va TL;DR Tips
  • 2. Abilities
    • 2.1. Eject and Call Mech
    • 2.2. Fusion Cannons
    • 2.3. Defense Matrix
    • 2.4. Boosters
    • 2.5. Micro Missiles
    • 2.6. Self-Destruct
• ×Playstyle
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. D.Va's Offensive Combos
  • 3. D.Va's Defensive Maneuvers
  • 4. Utilization of D.Va's Self-Destruct
  • 5. D.Va Tricks to Regain Mech
• +Synergies and Matchups
  • 1. D.Va's Synergies
    • 1.1. Winston & D.Va
    • 1.2. Genji & D.Va
    • 1.3. Mercy & D.Va
  • 2. D.Va Counters
    • 2.1. Roadhog & D.Va
    • 2.2. Zarya & D.Va
    • 2.3. Brigitte & D.Va
  • 3. D.Va Is Strong Against
    • 3.1. Zenyatta & D.Va
    • 3.2. Widowmaker & D.Va
• +Maps
  • 1. Best Maps for D.Va
    • 1.1. Junkertown & D.Va
    • 1.2. Dorado & D.Va
  • 2. Worst Map for D.Va
    • 2.1. D.Va & Nepal

On this page, you will find out how to properly play D.Va. From general playstyle advice, to more specific advice like ultimate usage or combos, we tell you everything we think matters to master your hero.

The other pages of our D.Va guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

Getting the most out of D.Va demands players use more brain than brawn. Her optimal playstyle is completely dependent on the given scenario. Offensively, D.Va should dive enemy players who are split from their team or follow up ally damage and secure kills. Defensively, D.Va should protect backline Supports and Defensive Heroes. Additionally, D.Va can use her size to initiate fights or stall enemy progress when they are trying to take Objectives. As you can see, D.Va can be utilized in a variety of ways, which is why D.Va players must make smart decisions when reacting to ally and enemy decision-making.

We are going to give you the combo first, then we will break down the reasoning behind the combo and when to utilize the combo situationally.

1. Boosters to target.
2. Fusion Cannons while aiming at target's head.
3. Defense Matrix to stop enemy ability or erase damage.
4. Micro Missiles while utilizing Defense Matrix to deal damage behind shield.
5. Boosters to chase, if necessary.
6. Fusion Cannons till enemy is dead.

This combo should be used when D.Va is attempting to dive enemy Supports. D.Va can quickly fly to an enemy Zenyatta or Moira, secure the kill, and move on. If the action gets too hot, or the enemy team reacts to your dive, you can always use your Boosters to back out of the fight.

1. Boosters to target.
2. Defense Matrix to stop enemy ability or erase damage while using Boosters.
3. Fusion Cannons while aiming at target's head.
4. Defense Matrix to stop enemy ability or erase damage.
5. Micro Missiles while utilizing Defense Matrix to deal damage behind shield.
6. Boosters to chase, if necessary.
7. Finish target with Fusion Cannons.

This variation of the D.Va's dive should be used when attacking a dangerous or crafty split enemy such as: Hanzo, Widowmaker, McCree, Ana, Junkrat, and Bastion. These heroes either have significant Damage Per Second outputs, or have abilities that will stop D.Va before she reaches her destination. For this reason, D.Va needs to go into the fight with her Defense Matrix already activated to take on damage while she utilizes her gap closer. Once she reaches the enemy, it is business as usual.

There are a number of ways in which D.Va can protect her teammates and the current objective. Her Defense Matrix will take out a wide variety of incoming damage and her Boosters allow her to fly practically anywhere in the map with haste. If an ally Support is under fire, the primary goal is to get in range to stop the damage. The first maneuver D.Va needs to utilize to save her teammate depends on a couple of things such as:

• D.Va's distance to the ally in need.
• The health of the ally being attacked.
• The identity of the assailant.

In some circumstances, the assailant's attacks cannot be stopped by Defense Matrix. If Moira, Mei, Winston, or Zarya are attacking your ally, you must use Boosters to get in between the ally and the enemy. Due to the size of D.Va's mech, enemies will have a hard time pursuing the kill once she is standing in the way. In addition to getting in between the teammate and their attacker, Boosters can be used to bump the enemy away from their prey. However, D.Va should not sacrifice a position between the enemy and her ally just to nudge them with Boosters. In fact, in some circumstances, using Boosters to push an enemy puts them closer to their target. Therefore, to nudge correctly, D.Va should use Boosters, charge the enemy, and cut of the ability once she runs into the enemy. If D.Va's Boosters are not cut-off when contact is made, D.Va runs the risk of flying past the enemy after bumping, exposing the ally as D.Va flies past the enemy. For this reason, when using Boosters defensively, players should always put themselves in between the attacker and their prey. If Boosting into the enemy fails to create space for your ally, then you should not use Boosters to attack the enemy.

When an assailant utilizes projectile DPS, D.Va should use her Defense Matrix to block the damage and Boosters to either push the enemy away or to head off the attacker's chase. In this scenario, using Boosters to push the enemy towards the ally is not as big of a deal since D.Va can block the ensuing damage with her Defense Matrix. This works especially well against heroes like Reaper and Roadhog who only have so many shots they can take before they have to reload.

There are three main uses of D.Va's Self-Destruct. First, D.Va can use Self-Destruct to fish for kills or secure kills with a friendly ultimate. The other purpose of Self-Destruct is to force the enemy to leave an objective or to split the enemy team. Finally, D.Va can use Self-Destruct to stall the enemy team's progress.

Arguably the most difficult use of D.Va's Self-Destruct is to secure kills. Due to all the warning signs that D.Va's mech gives off when Self-Destruct is used, and the three-second explosion timer, securing kills without an ally ultimate is more than difficult. However, there are a number of tips that D.Va players should remember when trying to score kills with Self-Destruct.

If using Self-Destruct without an ally ultimate, players should:

• Use the ability in wide open spaces where there is scarce terrain to hide behind.
• Try to surprise opponents by using Boosters to launch Self-Destruct over walls and through doorways.
• Use Self-Destruct when enemy team is occupied with ally teammates.
• Use Self-Destruct when D.Va's Mech is one of the first allies to be killed in a teamfight.

While the preceding list helps D.Va catch opponents out of guard, the best way to kill enemies with Self-Destruct is throw it when enemies are incapacitated, bunched, or heavily distracted by your teammates and their ultimates. For example, ultimates such as Zarya's Graviton Surge, Reinhardt's Earthshatter, Mei's Blizzard, and abilities like Orisa's Halt!. Additionally, D.Va's ult can be used to counteract Mercy's Valkyrie and Zenyatta's Transcendence.

In many situations, zoning the enemy with Self-Destruct is better than going for blind kills. When compared to securing kills with Self-Destruct, zoning enemies is quite easy. Regardless of whether you are attacking or defending, if your team is fighting over a point, detonating your mech in the middle of it will force enemies to scatter. When enemies split to avoid the explosion, your teammates should follow up by killing one or two of the enemies who are no longer with their team. By the time the enemy can regroup, they will be down one or two members, making it difficult for them to press the attack without waiting for their teammates to respawn.

The last use of D.Va's Self-Destruct is also objective-based, but is critical in stall scenarios. No matter how good your team is, there will always be situations where they are overrun by the enemy, and your opponents are looking to secure the win. As D.Va, when your team dies and you are defending the point alone, it is now your job to stay alive for as long as possible. Use Defense Matrix to block damage, use Boosters to become an elusive target, and when the enemy team finally manages to kill your mech, you use Self-Destruct at the last second. At this point, the enemy will have to either get off of the objective or face the consequences. This buys D.Va and her team time to get back from spawn to defend the point. Once D.Va's mech explodes, she will need to Call Mech as soon as possible to continue fighting the enemy and to buy her team more time to return. Between all of D.Va's abilities in conjunction with having two mechs, D.Va can stall a point for upwards of 10 seconds or more depending on the enemy team and their capabilities. Therefore, in some circumstances, Self-Destruct can literally win the game for the defense by stalling the Point long enough for allies to return to the fight and overcome the offensive attack.

When D.Va is out of her mech, there are a number of choices the player must consider given the current situation. When D.Va's mech is picked at the start of a fight, D.Va will often want to run in and get herself killed. While seemingly counter-intuitive, D.Va never wants to start a fight while out of her mech. If her team is alive when her mech gets picked, the best thing to do is to die and respawn with her mech suit. Unfortunately, many enemies will choose to disengage when they pick D.Va out of her mech, knowing they staggered the enemy. If this is the case, D.Va may want to jump off the side of a cliff to die and respawn with her mech. The process takes time, but starting an attack with an out-of-mech D.Va is like playing with a man down. Why chance losing a fight when D.Va can simply get a new mech?

Similar to attack D.Vas who get picked, defending D.Vas may also lose their mech in the heat of battle. In this case, D.Va may want to try and stay alive if she can stop the enemy team from progressing the point. If the defenders successfully stop the attackers, D.Va may want to jump off a cliff to respawn with her mech before the attacking team can come back. However, in some situations, D.Va may not have the time to kill herself, or there may not be any cliffs to jump off of. If this is the case, D.Va can go to spawn, switch off D.Va, and change back to D.Va to receive a full-health mech. The large downside to using this trick is that any ultimate charge that D.Va had collected will be lost to the switch. However, there is no downside to this tactic when D.Va has just used her Self-Destruct, as she will only lose a little bit of ultimate charge. If the attacking team is pushing to win, an out-of-mech D.Va should forfeit a charged Self-Destruct to ensure that she can get a mech. There is nothing worse than D.Va not using this tactic to hold on to a Self-Destruct that she will never get to use because she is not able to recover her mech before the attacking team wins the game. Therefore, if the attacking team can win the game in the next push, always switch off D.Va to gain a new mech.

About our Author

Mournflakes is a flex Grandmaster Overwatch player who boasts a career high SR rating of 4433. His favorite heroes are Roadhog, Soldier: 76, and Ana. He has played Overwatch since its initial release, and has put over 700 hours into competitive play. When not writing guides, you can catch Mournflakes streaming on his Twitch channel.